Modern Corsetiere

ISBN 978-0-620-50910-7Author – Marlene OosthuizenPublisher – North West School of Design

The Modern Corsetiere, a training manual which serves as a teaching and learning guide for students at North West School of design, gives step-by-step advice and knowledge on the whole process of corset making from terminology and styles to pattern construction and sewing methods. For anyone reading the training guide, the most surprising, illuminating factor is the different types of corset-bodies styles that exist within the fashion sphere. From the most popular: hourglass, conical and waist corset shapes to tight lacers pipe stem, s-bend and others such as the Elizabethan and male corset.

Front & Back Cover
According to the author, Marlene Oosthuizen of the North West School of Design, there’s a whole lot of confusion about the inner and outer corset that is often misleading if one is not sure exactly what to look for when searching for corset design methods on the internet. The manual helps you to make sense of the vast differences of websites and blogs which adds to misleading and confusing information found on the web. Marlene also sets apart the two worlds of the under garment and the corset-bodice. It details how one should understand and be aware of the differences in corset as under garments or as fashionable outerwear from designing, constructing and wearing the corset.

Oosthuizen also shares her experiences when she interviewed corset wearers. She says, “Wearers of this controversial garment have shared many corset wearing fiascos which prove that we [as designers] should keep the customer in mind before over-shaping, over-boning and over-fusing a corset-bodice.” For designers to understand how the customer would feel when wearing the garment she advizes them to wear the garment for at least a period of six hours.

The book covers every aspect of corset designing and is not only for students but also for amateur designers, lecturers, corsetieres, dressmakers and couturiers.

Content

The corset dictionary
– The difference between a corset, bustier, bodice, tight-lacer,
– corset and corset bodice
– The ABC of the corsetiere’s terms

Corset Construction
– Step by step corset construction guide
– Inserting the busk
– How to make a wooden busk
– Binding the edge of a corset
– How to wire the corset How to sew a lacing bone into position
– Boning with cord

Fitting the corset
– Fitting with or without boning?
– General fitting tips
– Step by step corset fitting guide
– Correcting a hollow back